June 24, 2011 3:42 PM

British docs say they can cure diabetes: How?

By
Ryan Jaslow
Topics
News ,
Disease ,
Research

(Credit: istockphoto)

(CBS) Can a diet cure type 2 diabetes? That's what British researchers are saying, after a low calorie diet reversed diabetes for 11 people.

"This is a radical change in understanding type 2 diabetes," Dr. Roy Taylor, professor of medicine and metabolism at at Newcastle University in the U.K. said in a written statement. He thinks these findings might change the way doctors treat the disease.

For the eight week study - published in the June 24 issue of "Diabetologia"- researchers tracked the insulin levels of the diabetics as they ate an extreme 600-calorie-a-day diet consisting solely of diet shakes and non-starchy vegetables. After one week on the diet, the diabetics' blood sugar levels were no longer elevated. After eight weeks on the diet, their bodies' regained the ability to make insulin, essentially curing them of diabetes.

"To have people free of diabetes after years with the condition is remarkable - and all because of an eight week diet," Dr. Taylor said in the statement.

One of the study participants, 67-year-old Gordon Parmley agreed. Speaking of the diabetes drugs he used to take,"Still today, 18 months on, I don't take them," he told The Daily Telegraph. "It's astonishing really that a diet - hard as it was - could change my health so drastically."

What's the hitch? A 600 calorie diet can feel brutal, considering that health experts generally recommend that adults get 2000. Parmley said his hunger was so severe, he'd have to distract himself with golf and walking the dog to take his mind off food.

That's why Dr. Taylor estimates only 5 percent of diabetics would stick to this diet. If they could, it would potentially help the 25 million-plus Americans that have type 2 diabetes, a disease that can cause stroke, heart disease, and kidney disease.

The American Diabetes Association has more on diabetes.


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by xaviervallet October 29, 2011 9:41 AM EDT
what exactly is the diet? what are the shakes? what and how much are the vegetables? there is like no information on this anywhere
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by ballroombelle July 13, 2011 11:29 AM EDT
I am type 2 diabetic (5 years and no meds, but developing horrible symptoms) am not obese, but overwieght. Having read a lot about the 6oo calories a day diet I embarked on it on July 1st, so am on day 13.I'm not eating only green veg etc, but being sensible - and no fat/sugar. Brilliant results so far, quite rapid weight loss, no cravings whatsoever - BUT - am having a drastic side effect. My sight is worsening, and by the day.I used glasses for reading only but now wearing them all the time but still difficult to read, driving is difficult, have constant blurred vision. What is causing it? Has anyone else suffered this? Is there a Dr in the house! I have today increased calories as this is very worrying...
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by LorienDesigns August 22, 2011 10:02 PM EDT
Ballroombelle, please, please continue this diet. I too started it and have completed the 8 weeks. It was grueling, but I went from a fasting blood sugar reading of over 500 down to a constant 106. My eyesight changed twice--it got better! My diabetic thinking - or lack of concentration - is gone and I can focus. Just stick with it! In addition, my numbness has disappeared. While I couldn't do this using the Optifast that the initial subjects used, I limited my carbs to under 10 per day and pretty much ate nothing but green leafy vegetables. I have had type 2 for over 10 years, and am seeing miraculous results - enough that I want to shout it to everyone who isn't on insulin to please consider this diet. To me the weight loss is great, but the turn around in my health is just incredible. Please stick with it. I just wanted you to know that there are others willing to take the risk if it will cure this blasted disease. :-)
by thenewday34 September 27, 2011 12:01 PM EDT
PLEASE WAKE UP PEOPLE:

Diabetes has already been reversed for over 20,000 people, it is the drug makers who hid the story.
The Anti Obesity drug makers and diabetes drug makers take in 10 billion$$$$ every year with no cure but you do not need their drugs.

There is no need for any "drug" for Type 2 Diabetes. The drugs cause direct heart attacks. Diabetes is being reversed out medications with a specialized diet

just google SPIRIT HAPPY DIABETES DIET
by WillowSunstar July 4, 2011 2:01 PM EDT
600 calories is a starvation diet, according to the World Health Organization. This is a horrible thing to do to people. There is no way you can get the amount of vitamins and minerals you need on 600 calories. What about blood sugar issues with diabetics as well? One would think they would plummet to dangerous levels.

Also, people following incredibly low calorie diets eventually go into starvation mode. This is documented and a reason why strict diets eventually fail.

Whatever happened to moderation?
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by jt92202 September 12, 2011 1:42 PM EDT
The point is that they want the body to shock itself into working correctly again! 600 caleries is a low amount of cal's but if your eating lots of vegies which have little cal's then your not starving yourself and your eating foods that are good for you!
by aunt2one June 29, 2011 9:12 AM EDT
"Still today, 18 months on, I don't take them," he told The Daily Telegraph. "It's astonishing really that a diet - hard as it was - could change my health so drastically."
--This implies that he doesn't do this diet anymore yet he's still diabetes free...is this true? Is it just 8 weeks, you're cured and you can go back to eating more calories and carbs?
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by jt92202 September 12, 2011 1:43 PM EDT
I belive you will have to continue to eat better and maybe low carb even. If you know you have a problem you normally will stay away from stuff that will hurt you!!
by Gary DiNardo June 25, 2011 6:46 PM EDT
This is only news if you've been ignoring what the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has been saying FOR DECADES!
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by y2kdaddio February 22, 2012 5:06 PM EST
Gary, you are indeed correct. Don't know if anyone will read this comment since this is an old thread. Today I found an interesting book, published IN 1916, that talk about the starvation diet. Interesting reading.

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/26058/26058-h/26058-h.htm

It is in the public domain.
by SunDog8259 June 25, 2011 9:05 AM EDT
Just go low-carb, no need for starvation although I don't think it hurts to fast occasionally especially if you are "insulin resistant." My FBS used to be 116 now I test 88. I eat plenty of beef, bacon, butter, cheese and cream just no sugar, tropical fruits or grains.
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by tmittelstaed June 25, 2011 5:54 AM EDT
The article also failed to mention that insulin swings (caused by diabetics who ignore diet and attempt to control their diabetes solely with meds) are what causes early blindness and a lot of the other body damage associated with diabetes. You would think that would be sufficient motivation to the type 2'ers to do the starvation diet.
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by MaxK341 June 24, 2011 8:44 PM EDT
This is no surprise. Type II Diabetes is a condition brought on by incorrect diet. So learning to eat wholesome food rather than junk food will correct the condition. It is not actually a disease. More correctly it is just bad blood chemistry.

The approach that they took here is extreame and not necessary to correct this condtion.
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by jt92202 June 24, 2011 4:22 PM EDT
"extreme 600-calorie-a-day diet consisting solely of diet shakes and non-starchy vegetables."

If you are eating Diet Shakes and Non-Starchy Vegetables the only thing that is low calorie is the number of calories eaten!! This is a low carb diet in the extreme and all Type 2 Diabetics should be on low carb diets!!! Now if the 600 calorie LOW CARB diet works to cure Type 2 (I use the word Cure loosely) then great but if the person goes back to eating the way they did before their diagnoses then the pancrass will just go back to the way it was and meds will again need to be used!! If they stay on a LOW CARB diet I can see that the diabetes would stay away!!

I am not an expert other than my husband is a Type 1 diabetic and I have done A LOT of research on diabetes in the past year! We keep his blood sugar levels low with Low Carb meals so he doesn't have to take as much insulin to make up for the carbs that turn to sugar! ALL Type 2 diabetics (if they have a doctor worth anything) is told to eat low carb but many of them don't cuz they prefer to eat as they please and let the meds deal with the diabetes!! They need to learn to control the diabetes instead of letting the diabetes control them!! We know many T1 and T2 diabetics that use the insulin to control their bad eating habits, in turn they have to take more and more insulin and they end up having many complications due to that!
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by mushlop50 June 24, 2011 5:08 PM EDT
yes I agree with you but , do you go with 95% or 5% who can carry on with this diet
by jt92202 September 12, 2011 1:38 PM EDT
Mushlop50 - you have to give the diabetic as much info as you can to let them make the decision that is best for them. So often doctors just tells the person what they feel the person can deal with. When my husband was diagnosed he went to a dietitian and she told him a carb is a carb and between her and the doctor he was eating so he could take insulin. That was the wrong way for him, maybe not for everyone but for him it was easier to eat low carb and take insulin when it was needed. He was eating more carbs then he had eaten for years the dietitians way! His doctor was suprised that he did the research that we did and became responsible in the foods he ate. Not everyone will do this but this should be the first thing doctors do for their diabetic's, it's your life you need to find out what works best for you. My father on the other hand only wants to do what he has to do to keep in under control because he doesn't want to give up potatoe's and ice cream (he's T2). But it is the responsibility of the medical community to give proper info and let the diabetic decide how they are going to treat their desease (how long do you want to live?)
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